Earl Monroe

Since 1987, five former Bullets have been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame -- Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes, Earl Monroe, Walt Bellamy and Buddy Jeannette.Unseld and Hayes teamed to bring an NBA title to Washington in 1978, and Monroe earned a championship ring in 1973 after being traded to New York.But none had deeper Baltimore roots than Jeannette, the fiery player-coach of the 1948 championship team who will be honored during halftime of the Bullets-Philadelphia 76ers game at the Baltimore Arena tonight.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - When 16-year-old Maya Monroe talks about her future, she tilts her entire body forward, as though offering her life on a platter. The confident words flow easily from her almond-shaped face as she points out the preparations and mixtures that will ultimately result in the perfect plate - a recipe that mixes intelligence and desire with a sprinkle of fame ... and may soon include a touch of Maryland crab. Here at Sacred Heart University, a postcard-pretty campus in central Connecticut, the 6-foot-1 Monroe is honing her basketball skills, searching for the secret to a smoother jump shot or a stronger post move.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco didn't light up the scoreboard Sunday, but with no interceptions and a wonderfully improvised touchdown scamper, the rookie sent Baltimoreans home chanting his name. But a look back at Baltimore sports history suggests that fans shouldn't get too high or low based on Flacco's solid debut against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The player who scored the biggest basket in Baltimore Bullets history turned 68 Thursday. Happy Birthday, Mad Dog. "I can still shoot," Fred Carter, the man with the feral nickname, said from his home in Norristown, Pa. "I can't make the 20-footer, but I'm good from 12 to 15. The range isn't there, but the jump shot is. " The shot was there 42 years ago, too, in the seventh and deciding game of the 1971 NBA Eastern Conference finals....

Oct. 16, 1983: The Orioles win their third and most recent World Series as Scott McGregor pitches a five-hitter to beat the Phillies, 5-0, in Game 5 in Philadelphia. First baseman Eddie Murray ends a slump by hitting two home runs. Catcher Rick Dempsey, a .231 hitter, earns Most Valuable Player honors and reacts with disbelief. "In 11 years, I've never been hot," he says. Oct. 16, 1977: "It was just good enough to win," Bert Jones, the Colts' All-Pro quarterback, says of visiting Baltimore's 17-6 victory over the hapless Kansas City Chiefs (0-5)

LANDOVER -- With eight minutes left in the third quarter of the Washington Bullets game against the Boston Celtics yesterday, a basket of extra-large balloons was prematurely released from the Capital Centre catwalk.It was "Fan Appreciation Day," but the only reason to celebrate was that the Bullets' horrendous 1992-93 season had ended.For the record, the playoff-bound Celtics got a wake-up call in the last 17 minutes to overcome a 64-59 deficit and roll to a 106-99 victory.An ailing Kevin McHale probably played the final regular-season game of his 12-year career, and there were more tears shed for him than for the Bullets (22-60)

PHILADELPHIA - The NBA held its second dunk contest of All-Star Weekend, but with an interesting dimension. This time it came during the West's 135-120 victory over the East at the First Union Center. It gave the East some solace in its defeat and the Orlando Magic's Tracy McGrady a small shred of the spotlight. While the results were unofficial, the clear winner was McGrady. Standing between the foul line and the top of the key, the 6-foot-8 McGrady tossed a pass to himself off the backboard and slammed it down with a little under eight minutes left in the second quarter.

Blake Griffin and Kevin Love, All-Stars … Duh. Fittingly, if surprisingly, Griffin made it as a rookie and a Clipper … if one capable of averaging 27-14-4 last month … over Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Lamar Odom, Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay. That left Love, who may be the first 20-15 player since Moses Malone in 1983, as the best non-All-Star ever, until they named him to replace ...

Five draft-day trades with biggest consequences of past 20 years 1987: Seattle traded the rights to Scottie Pippen to Chicago for the draft rights to Olden Polynice, a second-round pick in 1988 or 1989 and the right to swap first-round picks in 1988 or 1989. The deal set the Bulls up for their dynastic run of the 1990s, giving Michael Jordan the running mate he needed to reign over the NBA. 1993: Orlando traded the rights to Chris Webber to Golden State for the rights to Penny Hardaway and three future first-round draft choices.

R. Lewis as a victim is the wrong portrayal Why do sports fanatics like Sun columnist Mike Preston have to continue to portray Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis as a victim ["R. Lewis restoring his star reputation in corporate arena," April 25]? The real victims are the two people who were killed in Atlanta, and their families, who will never have peace or closure to this incident. If Preston wants to lament something, lament the victims' families who will never have justice; don't lament Lewis' lost income potential.